'Great Way To Show Your Support': UC Davis Free Clinics Call For Community Help After Pandemic Cancels Annual Fundraiser
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Student-run medical clinics are putting out a call for help.
UC Davis School of Medicine students get critical hands-on medical experience that you can't get in a classroom. Underinsured, vulnerable patients depend on these clinics.
"We've done blood draws at the clinic, we give flu shots at the clinic, we also call in prescriptions as well," said second-year medical student Angela Nguyen.
Nguyen knew she wanted to be a doctor when she was a little girl. With her baby sister born three months premature, Angela would translate for her parents in the hospital.
"Being able to work at the clinic and aid these families in the way I've seen healthcare for my family, I can not compare to anything else," said Nguyen.
But the clinics are now at risk after the 41st Annual Silent Auction and Wine Tasting Benefit was canceled due to the pandemic. The event has raised up to $50,000 dollars in the past.
"I can tell you an innumerable number of patients whose only access is our clinic," said Dr. Shubha Ananthakrishnan.
"By not being able to maintain the space that we have or by not being able to purchase the supplies then it's really the patients that we worry about not being able to receive the care that they normally would," said Nguyen.
Students like Nguyen are now hoping people will donate through an online giving campaign, especially considering the clinics have new expenses during the pandemic like home delivery of medication and medical devices.
"This would be a great way to show your support for your community, to help a neighbor and to continue medical education," said second-year medical student Kayla Meadows.
You can donate online before the Feb. 14 deadline.
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